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Democracy is messy. Everybody gets to have their say, it takes longer than it should, nobody gets everything they want, and in the end, the majority rules, a simple principle that’s getting a stress test on Capitol Hill.
After keeping the government funded with more votes from Democrats than Republicans, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a recall vote from Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, an attention-seeking MAGA Republican whose vendetta can only be averted if GOP radicals have a change of heart (unlikely) or more likely, maybe even inevitable, Democrats step in to keep McCarthy in power.
Gaetz filed papers late Monday for a “motion to vacate,” putting McCarthy on notice that he’s coming for him. Not once, but every day until there are enough votes to oust McCarthy and install an alternative. With an eerie resemblance to the Joker in the Batman movies, Gaetz gleefully recalls the 15 votes it took for McCarthy to secure the gavel with his sliver-thin margin.